The Young wives group were aware of the difficulties some had finding transport, so in about 1980 led by Marie Sanders they set up “Community Friends” to meet this need.  On the committee were Marie, Marjorie, Jeanie Brown, Dr Zoë Harris and Charles Simmons.  A great deal of transport was provided especially by Charles, but there were few other volunteers and it was decided to disband after ten years in 1990.  

The attendance at the Wednesday Club dwindled after seventeen years, it was reconstituted in 1995 but finished about four years ago.

 

The Chase Community Friends

 

With the increasing concern for “Care in the Community” and difficulties with patient transport, the surgery promoted a public meeting on 3rd May 1991 at which “The Chase Community Friends” was founded to improve the quality of life of all those restrained or isolated by social or medical disability in the Dorset part of the Cranborne Chase.   

 

Its objectives were to provide:

 

A regular social day centre,

A weekly “drop in” morning coffee,

Transport especially to the surgery, collect prescriptions

Other services such as dog walking.

 

The committee of the CCF was formed by having a representative from each village covered in The Cranborne Chase, i.e. from Chettle to East Woodyates and Tollard Royal to Gussage All Saints.  

 

A Social Day Centre was organised in Sixpenny Handley Village Hall on the second Friday of the month.  Clients are transported from their homes for a sociable morning session over a cup of coffee with sometimes a brief talk of general interest or information.  A three course lunch in the hall cooked from fresh ingredients is followed by a wide variety of activities catering to all interests but intended to have some therapeutic benefit.  This has been regularly attended by 35 to 45 people ever since.

 

The CCF is an entirely independent organisation, run by its committee who are also it’s trustees since it became a Registered Charity in 2003 (No 1102105).  To preserve it’s individuality it is not part of Age Concern although we regularly hire their bus.  It has been financed by fund raising events and donations.   The valuable contribution of the CCF to social support in the area has been recognised by a Dorset County grant since the outset.

 

The other services were

1. A drop-in morning Coffee on a Thursday morning in the backroom of the Roebuck  to which all are welcome.

2. Transport by one of our voluntary drivers to surgery, dentist, hospital or elsewhere at a cost to cover expenses while the client is in the car.

3. Occasional outings to a place of interest, theatre or shopping such as Gunwharf Quay.

4. Other services including dog walking, brief carer relief and shopping.

 

Realising others needed opportunities to meet people with similar interests but were not interested in coming to our Social Day Centre, special interest groups were started in 2000.  

“CCF Book Club” for those interested in reading, meeting in members homes

“CCF Music” for listening to and discussing classical music,

“CCF Art”  meeting to paint and draw together in Chettle Hall

Hopefully more special interest groups such as history will be set up in the future.

 

The Chase Community Day Centre.   13 April 2007

 

A total of 36 members arrived at the day centre for a chat, lunch and a demonstration of spinning.

 

The morning session when coffee and biscuits are served was taken up by a talk on the need for a safe evacuation of the building should there be a fire. It was also decided to hold a fire drill in the near future when the whole building would be evacuated.

Mrs Jillie Compton from the Citizens Advice Bureaux gave a talk and some advice about POPP the organisation for helping people get the maximum benefits from the state. She holds private surgeries in the doctors’ surgery every Tuesday morning.

George presented Janette with a bunch of flowers in appreciation for all her hard work running the coffee morning raffle each week.

 

Lunch was cooked by a small and very dedicated team led by Head Chef Patsy Geddes consisting of Carrot soup, Gammon, broad beans, & new potatoes, followed by pears & chocolate sauce.

After lunch a demonstration of spinning was given by David & Joan Nichols, members of the Dorset Guild of Spinners & Dyers. Spinning was carried out on two spinning wheels, a Canadian made Lendrum that David used and his wife was using a New Zealand made Ashford Joy Wheel. Some of the strange materials that David uses for spinning are, Shredded plastic bottles, Possum, Bamboo, Soya bean stems, Rabbit, Camel & Acrylic, as well as Sheep, and most animal hair. The talk and demonstration were very popular with the clients and many completed articles were passed around that were knitted or woven from some of the strange materials as well as sheep’s wool.

 

This years coach outing will be on June 8th, the route will be from Sixpenny Handley through Sandbanks, over the ferry to Studland, and going on to Thomas Hardy’s grave, then into Moreton where we will be having cream teas before returning to Sixpenny Handley late in the afternoon.

 

Coffee Morning

 

The Chase Community Friends weekly coffee morning is being held at the sports pavilion for the moment.

The Easter raffle draw and meeting was well attended (23).  More or less everyone contributed a prize and also buys lots of tickets because Janette who always organises our raffles is not a happy bunny (especially at Easter) if she does not sell lots of tickets, for which we are all very grateful. A total of £74.50 was raised on the day by the raffle.

 

Chase Community Friends

 

History

Early in the 1970’s the then Vicar, Tony Lane and his wife Marjorie saw a need to improve the church  services in the parish and started the “Young Wives” group.

 

In January 1978 Ian Geddes and Jenny Baker, the Health Visitor in the surgery, recognised the need for an opportunity for people to get to together and so with Jeanie Brown, Vic Fryer, Patsy Geddes, Zoë Harris, Sue MacDougal, Penny Morris, Bill Shepherd and Sir Nick Stenhouse, started the Wednesday Club” to hold fortnightly meetings, open to anyone, on a Wednesday afternoon with a talk or demonstration and a cup of tea.  It was very popular (137attending the first meeting!) with members being transported from the surrounding villages by committee and volunteers.